Athletes and emotional health

Kurt W. Faust

Updated 5:15 am, Wednesday, March 18, 2015

In July 2012, Daniel Olsen, an all-state athlete from Ishpeming High School, committed suicide, ending his life-altering battle with depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. Daniel was a great young man who loved his family and was a popular student. His family was supportive and very aware of his battles. Despite all the support of coaches and the community, Daniel still tragically chose to end his life. To simply call him suicidal, would not be fair. He was a young man who just wanted to shed the pain attacking his mind and body. His death was an extreme example of the power of emotional disorders. Daniel’s death is a sobering call to action for athletic teams, coaches and parents. His struggle reinforces the need for all athletic participants to look deeper into the overall impact of athletic participation on the emotional health of athletes.

As more about Daniel’s death is shared by family and friends, one can begin to see the potential for other “Daniels” out there. We must ask, do we as parents and coaches commit enough time to understanding the unique mental workings of the athletes we cultivate and develop? In many ways, emotional disorders are tough for a coach or parent to wrap his/her head around. Many adults in the athletic environment are drawn to the values of the game, the life lessons, the aggressiveness, the stamina and the healthy emotional and physical strength that coaches instill in their athletes. However, deep down both parents and coaches know that kids are just kids, not mature and high-level processing adults. Both coaches and parents cannot be naive or negligent to the limitations and level of maturity of their athletes. When it comes to emotions and mental health, there is a constructive/destructive tipping point in every athlete and it is important to note that it is different for every athlete. Coaches and parents are the catalysts and seed planters to many of these emotional buttons. Their influence, positive or negative, saturates the internal workings of their athletes.

It is easy for most people to assume that athletes, by virtue of their athletic endeavors and demeanor, are somehow immune to depression and potential suicidal thoughts. Though research has not substantiated this belief, there are growing indications that paint quite the opposite picture. Depression and mood disorders are indeed a significant concern among athletes. Not only is there no immunity for athletes to these disorders, but athletes may actually be prone to more of the contributing factors. Parents, coaches and athletes need to be cognizant of the day to day internal development of an athlete. They need to understand the patterns and behaviors that signal a potential problem.

An athlete lives a unique journey. Cultivated in toughness, hard-work, poise and the pursuit of excellence, there is little room to tolerate failure, lack of intensity and/or physical and emotional weaknesses. As athlete’s develop, they are conditioned to block negative emotions and feelings like anxiety, stress and negativity so that it does not permeate their “Sports DNA.” Any aspect of their life deemed as “weakening” is swept away or put in an internal safe box to be kept away from distracting their ability to succeed. However, the reality inside the mind of the athlete can be much different. Contrary to the images portrayed, athletes are not superhuman and most are far from the “thick-skinned” persona they display. Although they may be developed with an aggressive nature to battle competitive and athletic-themed challenges, they can be decimated by emotional battles that persist in all young people.

The intense nature of an athlete’s experiences and lifestyle make it tough, at times, to find an emotional balance. In the roller-coaster of their lives they are in constant emotional flux and for many of them the concept of “unplugging” from that intense lifestyle is not an option. This progressive evolution by athletes towards an unhealthy perspective and denial of emotional balancing is where the danger lies. Players act out, they become depressed and they develop negative coping mechanisms. This includes athletes who may even act out with some form of self-harm or substance abuse. If coaches and parents have a strong commitment to awareness of these issues, they can go a long way in preventing the erosion of the athlete’s mindset. This includes recognizing those athletes who are not developing in a mentally healthy ways.

Parents, coaches and educators should be looking for patterns of moods, withdrawal and individual changes based on the environments, interactions and situations in the athletic life. Behaviors that should be red-flagged include:

• Constant sense of fatigue in school, home or practice

• Loss of appetite or change in eating habits

• Decreased enjoyment of the sport in which they are participating

• Crying or increases in crying/emotional outbursts

• Inability to concentrate

• Disinterested or distracted

• Does not share information or lacks interaction at home or school

• Social isolation and changes in peer groups/friendships

• Irritability, lack of patience

• Low self-esteem or negative self-talk

• Low self-confidence and avoidance of positive risk-taking or challenges

• Hopelessness and defeatist attitude

• Suicidal thoughts or obsession with death or traumatic events

Many of these patterns are heightened by an injury, lack of personal or team success, developmental delay, unmet expectations or the conclusion of a season.

Prevention is so important, especially for players and families who are going to reside in the sports world for an extended period of time. Coaches, (specifically coaches of younger athletes) have a wonderful opportunity to develop a healthy foundation of positive emotional behaviors for both families and the individual athletes. Coaches are the starting point of a long developmental journey and they are vital to launching athletes in an upward, positive direction. Coaches are also the “eyes and ears” to see potential problems in athletes and they must take this as a significant part of their responsibility.

Coaches who understand the importance of the mental health of their athletes will build coping strategies and healthy behaviors into their programs. They will emphasize “balance” as a positive lifestyle choice and model that choice. Coaches will teach healthy emotional expression and will not create an environment that is negative, pressure filled or stressful. In addition, coaches will stress relational closeness, strong communication and promote constant interactions between players, coaches and the families involved.

A priority for coaches will be knowing their players as more than athletes. Also, they will show genuine concern for them beyond the athletic realm. Finally, coaches will educate parents to be a healthy extension of the athletic program. They will make sure that households are keeping athletics in perspective and that parents are not creating undue stress and unrealistic expectations on their athlete. The coaches will help parents learn to promote an environment of open communication, emotional expression, unconditional acceptance and encourage relaxation, nutrition and physical rest.

Fortunately, for us, the Olsen family is not going to stay quiet about the devastating loss they suffered. A documentary, “Do It For Daniel,” is in the works to help schools and communities gain awareness of teen mental health issues (www.doitfordaniel.com). Their courage to go public will hopefully make parents, players and coaches more intentional about taking care of each other and fostering positive home, practice and game environments for all athletes.